Signal issues at the TTC’s Wilson Yard Facility prevented trains from being deployed onto Line 1 at the start of service this morning, resulting in significant service disruptions.
According to TTC spokesperson Brad Ross, a “loss of switches and signals” at Wilson Yard meant that most trains could not be deployed onto Line 1 at the start of service on Friday.
The TTC did move about 13 trains from Line 2 over to Line 1 to supplement service but that left the line short of the 28 or 29 trains that usually service it by 6 a.m., Ross said.
Luckily, by 7 a.m. the TTC was able to resolve the signal issues at Wilson Yard and begin deploying additional trains onto Line 1.
Ross told CP24 that the TTC would have its usual compliment of 63 trains in operation to handle the peak of rush hour demand from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., though he said that trains from Line 2 would continue to be needed to supplement service through the morning rush.
As a result, delays were widely reported along Line 2 in addition to Line 1.
“It is going to be slow right now, there is no doubt about it but earlier this morning the prognosis was not good,” Ross told CP24. “We were really in a jam and I needed to be honest with people about what they had to expect. Now I can tell you with confidence that you can rely on the system this morning. We have got that yard back up, we have got trains that will get you where you need to know but if you are leaving right now leave yourself some extra time.”
The signal issues at Wilson Yard initially prompted the TTC to suspend service completely between Lawrence West Station and St. George Station and deploy 60 shuttle buses to carry commuters along the shuttered portion of the line, though full service did resume at 8 a.m.
Meanwhile, service along the remainder of the line continued to operate throughout the morning but at considerably slower pace than what might be usually expected.
“I wouldn’t normally say this but I suggest that people perhaps consider alternatives today if they can,” Ross told CP24 earlier in the morning before the issues at Wilson Yard had been resolved. “The subway is going to be incredibly slow this morning.”
In a message posted to Twitter later on Friday morning, Ross promised “to get to the bottom” of what caused the issues at Wilson Yard and share that information with the public.
“This morning was highly unusual and we are investigating, needless to say,” he said, “This should not have happened and we'll figure out why. Just glad we recovered as quickly as we did. Unfortunately, subway systems can fail; the TTC is not alone in that.”
During the service disruptions commuters were permitted to take GO Transit from Finch Station to Yorkdale Station for the cost of a TTC fare.
